⁵ And not only as we had hoped, but they first ^(A)gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the ^(B)will of God.

Living Sacrifices to God

12 I ^(A)beseech^[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies ^(B)a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your ^[b]reasonable service.

Excel in Giving

8 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

⁷ For ^(A)none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ⁸ For if we ^(B)live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For ^(C)to this end Christ died ^[a]and rose and lived again, that He might be ^(D)Lord of both the dead and the living.

¹³ And do not present your ^(A)members as ^[a]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but ^(B)present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

¹² Also ^(A)the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, ^(B)at the word of the Lord.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that ^(A)if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, ^(B)that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

¹⁸ Then the Spirit ^[a]came upon ^(A)Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said:

So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.

²⁸ Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be ^[a]lent to the Lord.” So they ^(A)worshiped the Lord there.